Rose and Pistachio Ice Cream

We made this exotic ice cream in a Moroccan hamam in 40-degree heat when we were filming so it should be a cinch at home. It goes beautifully with the gazelle horn pastries opposite. For the best colour, rub the skins off the pistachios – or buy nibbed pistachios which are already skinned.

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Ingredients

Method

Put the pistachios in a large frying pan and toast them very lightly for a couple of minutes. Leave the pistachios to cool, then grind them as finely as possible in a food processor.

Put the pistachios in a saucepan with the milk and 40g of the sugar and heat until the sugar has dissolved. Allow the milk to come almost to boiling point, then remove the pan from the heat, cover, and leave to infuse. Leave the mixture for at least an hour for a decent flavour, or overnight if you can.

Strain the milk and pistachio mixture thoroughly, then reheat, again to just below boiling point. Put the egg yolks in a bowl with the remaining sugar and whisk until the mixture is light and mousse-like. Pour the infused milk over the egg yolks, stirring to combine, then pour everything back into the saucepan. Stir over a very low heat until the mixture is the consistency of a fairly thin custard. If you are worried about the mixture curdling, you can pour the mixture into a bowl and place it over a pan of simmering water, then stir.

Remove the custard from the heat and leave it to cool down. Chill thoroughly, then pour in the double cream. Mix to combine then gradually add the rose water, tasting as you go.

Churn the mixture in an ice cream maker, then put it in the freezer for a couple of hours before serving. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, freeze the mixture in a plastic box and whisk at regular intervals to get air into it. Continue until it is too hard to work. Serve garnished with candied rose petals and chopped pistachios.